Traction-wheel for motor-propelled vehicles.



E. M. WHEELOCK.

TRACTION WHEEL FOR MOTOR PROPELLED VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23. I913.

Patented June 8, 1915.

35555:? Fiirsk 2b.. PHoToLlrnQ. WASHINUION, n. q.

7 following is a specification.

UNITED S'lAlfES retrnivr ensign EDWIN WHEEQQQK, ammers. ni waso e-iniaaavo;

summon-WHEEL Eon Moron-rewritten VEHICLES.

. ba fie i lb n e e ent. Patented June 8,1915.

Application filedJuly 23, 1913. Serial No. 780,688.

To an whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, EDWIN M. WHnELocK, a citizen of the United'States,residing at lVinona, in the county of l/Vinona and State of Minnesota,have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Traction -.;Wheelsfor Motor-Propelled Vehicles, of which the My invention relates totraction wheels for motor propelled vehicles and has. for its object toprovide a wheel having a bearing 7 surface which shall be to a degreeyielding top, forming a practically continuous bear-- ing surface forthe wheel of wood fibers.

The full objects'and advantages of my invention will appear inconnection with the detailed description thereof and are particularlypointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, illustrating the application of my invention in oneform,Figure 1 is a side view of a traction wheel having my improvedbearing surface. Fig. 2 is a similar view on a larger scale of a portionof a traction wheel showing the wooden blocks in position before thesame have been broomed at the ends. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on astill larger scale through a portion of the rim of a wheel showing theblocks of wood as they will appear in cross section after brooming. Fig.4 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig.5 is a large planview of one of the holding devices.

The rim 10 of the traction wheel, which may be the drive wheel of atraction engine or of a motor truck or other motor propelled vehicle, isprovided with a series of apertures, preferably in pairs, across thefaceof the tire. To each pair of these apertures is bolted a holding member11, suchas shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 5. This holding membercomprises the fiat-bottom portion through which the bolts 12 extend andside flanges 13 and 14, said side flanges being extended at an angleslightly oblique to the base portion of the holding members. Each oftheflanges 13 and let 1s provided at its end with a lip 15 extended.outwardly from the center of the holding member in a'iplane at rightangles to the fianges13 and 14. The length of the holding members willbe equal to, the width of the tire, so that'the lips 15' will comeinside of theplanes of the edges of the tire. The lips 15 are preferablyof such length that when the twoholding members 11 are bolted throughadjacent pairs of holes to the'wheel tire the adjacent 1ips15 of therespectiveholders will con tact, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 and indicatedin dottedlinesin i g The flanges 13-44.- and the lips 15 form acup-likechamber inclosed at the sides and ends and open at thetop, withside walls sloping upwardly toward one another. In

the chambers-so formed are set aseries of blocks-16, which may be formedof lignuni vitae, gum or other wood, as desired. These blocks will beformed with beveled sides and of such size as just to fit within thecup-like chamber formed by the flanges and lips of the holding members,with the grain ofjthe wood extending radially outward.

It will be obvious that inassembling such a wheel theholding memberswill be progressively bolted into position, each member being firstengaged over the beveled base of a block 16 whereby said block is firmlyand yet removably secured upon the face of the tire with a portion ofthe block extending outwardly beyond the limits of the flanges 13 and14;, asclearly indicated in Fig. 2. The holding members willbe of suchwidth-in respect to the block 16 that after the. wheel has been operatedand the faces of .said block are splintered and broomed down, as willspeedily take place,

the broomed-out ends of the respective blocks will contact laterally, asindicated at 17 inFig. 3, with-the result that a practically continuoussurface of wooden fibers is provided for the bearing surface of thecharacteristics familiarly recognized in block pavements and provides anadmirable traction surface. and earth will work in among the fibersofthe wood, giving a bearing surface having excellent wearingcharacteristics and yet one which cannot harm pavements or roadtractionsurface. The woodenblocks'may be wheel. This'has the resiliency andyielding r Small particles of sand 11o ways and which provides a highly'eiiicient manufactured relatively very cheaply, and

the Wheel surface may be renewed at any time for a very small cost andWithout the necessity of the employment of skilled labor, anyone Who canoperate a Wrench being capable of making the change.

The advantages of my invention Will be apparent. For the heavier typesof trucks and for traction engines the use of pneumatic tires isimpracticable, if not a physical impossibility. Many forms of rubber andcomposition tires employed for trucks are not only very expensive butare short lived and can only be renewed by the application of additionaltires of the same charactor and cost, While in traction engines thetractor surface has been obtained by the provision of metal lugs orteeth which have no resiliency, are destructive of roads and soinjurious to pavements that their use thereon is generally forbidden,and Which also are inefficient in soft ground. All of these deficienciesmy tire aims to, and will overcome.

I claim:

A traction Wheel comprising a circular rim, a series of holding memberssecured to the rim and severally spaced one from the other, and a seriesof Wooden blocks having the grain running radially With respect to theWheel removably secured to said rim by said holding members andprojecting outwardly beyond the limits thereof so that when the blocksare broomed out from the use of the Wheel the broomed-out heads of theblocks Will fill said spaces and adjacent heads Will contact to form acontinuous bearing surface for the Wheel.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

EDWVIN M. VWHEELOCK. Witnesses:

H. A. BOWMAN, ROBERT W. MUIR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 6'.

